Author(s): John Ellicott

Rugby League

Uncommon Heroes documents a time when players who came from the city's mean streets got the chance to play Rugby League and make a name for themselves. These are the stories of the uncommon heroes: hard working, hard playing, tough and warm-hearted. They are the stories of a time when Rugby League was a bruising tribal contest with local rivalries, when muddy country grounds were packed with fans and the corporate juggernaut of today's game was incomprehensible. This book takes a look at the days when rugby players had 'real jobs', smoked cigarettes at half time and had a beer together after training. Days when rugby boots were a treasured possession and rules and regulations barely mattered. Read about how legends were forged in steel by men who refused to countenance defeat. When back then, before full time professionalism, you might buy your bread or vegetables from someone you barracked for on Saturday: an uncommon hero of the Rugby League.